


The Black Rose

by basicallyinsanedog



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Admiring from Afar, Alternate Universe, Cinderella AU, Cinderella Elements, Complete, F/M, Falling In Love, First Meeting, Halloween Town, Magic Cat, Midnight, ONE character written ooc, One Shot, halloween party, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26487664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basicallyinsanedog/pseuds/basicallyinsanedog
Summary: The Nightmare Before Christmas- Cinderella AUPoor Sally Finkelstein lives a hard life because her step mother, Jewel, (who unfortunately has to be portrayed rather mean, sorry. Does not reflect how I actually see her and is actually rather ooc) is very mean to her because she is jealous.When Sally gets word that there's going to be a Halloween party, she decides right away that she wants to go. But she's not allowed! Whatever will she do?Get help from a magic cat, thats what. (Its the best I could come up with-)Will she be able to get with the love of her life, Jack Skellington, before her dress changes back at midnight?
Relationships: Dr. Finklestein/Jewel (Nightmare Before Christmas), Sally/Jack Skellington
Kudos: 19





	The Black Rose

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I wrote a little while back for a school assignment (if you're wondering, yes, I got a good grade :>) and ever since I submitted it to my teacher I've kept working on editing and fixing it until I finally got a version that I really liked and was proud of!  
> Gonna post this now because It's already written, and I don't know when the next update to 'The Visitor' will be. 
> 
> Please Enjoy!!

The Black Rose

  


A Cinderella Story

  


_ <Characters belong to Tim Burton> _

  


Sally sighed as she walked across her bedroom, dragging her poor, tired feet along the way. She collapsed onto her bed, exhausted from the day's work. Sally lived in Halloween Town, Inside the Mad Scientist’s tower. The Mad Scientist, Dr. Finkelstein, had created her using leaves and bits of flesh sewn together. She was his greatest creation. That was, until he created Jewel. Jewel was to be his wife, since, as the doctor says, she “turned out better”. At first, Sally’s new mom seemed kind enough. She treated her with respect, and they got along just fine. But, things soon began to change when Jewel became jealous of her. See, Sally was very beautiful. Arguably the most beautiful woman in the entire town. She had soft light blue fabric skin, red hair that went the whole way down her back, wide, thoughtful eyes and small, slightly crooked cherry red lips. Not to mention she had a very sweet and caring heart, and was always kind to everyone. 

Jewel started not letting her leave the tower. She had to stay home and do ALL the work, that being the cooking and cleaning, and all the chores. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it got worse. Jewel began to treat her like she was worth nothing. She would talk down to her, and insult her clothing- the only thing Sally had to wear was a raggedy, old, dusty patchwork dress, because despite the fact that she could sew, her step mother took away all her fabrics. 

Jewel simply made her life miserable.

  


Sally sighed once again, letting her arm drape down over the metal frame of her bed. She closed her eyes.  _ Why did things have to be this way? She had never done anything to Jewel _ . 

Every night would end the same way- the poor ragdoll would trudge up the stairs and collapse into her bed after a long day of being non-stop bossed around and yelled at. She hated it. But there was  _ one _ thing Sally always looked forward to at this time of day.

She opened her eyes, letting her gaze drift over to her large window. Smiling, she sat up, stretching slightly. She got up and slowly made her way across the room, careful not to catch her feet on the hard, snagging floor. When Sally got to 

the window she carefully opened it, letting in a small breeze. The ragdoll rested her elbows on the windowsill, and her head in her hands, as she gazed ahead of her, eyes half lidded.

Only a few yards from her tower stood the very thing that Sally found herself gawking at every single evening- The Skellington Manor. The home of Halloween Town’s most beloved and well known member, The Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington. At about this time every day, the king could be seen walking around in his observatory, typically writing, or reading as he does so. And, that’s where he was tonight.

Sally watched him pace around like she usually does. She couldn’t help it, she’d been admiring him very much for a very long time. She loved everything about him, from the work he did for Halloween, to even just the way he looked and dressed (There were a few times when he had come over to speak with the doctor, and Sally had managed to get a peak at him from the top of the railing). There was no denying that she had feelings for him- even if she had never met him. She had heard so much about him from the doctor already, and yet she was so curious to learn more. Yes, there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to meet him someday, and perhaps, even become friends with him. But for now, she was going to have to stick to watching him from the tower. Her cheeks felt warm as she continued staring at the skeleton as he paced, a hand on his hip. Sally couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing. What he was thinking. 

“Oh, Jack…” She cooed to herself. “If only you..”

“SAAAALLLLLYYY!!” 

She jumped, turning around, startled by the loud voice of the doctor calling her name. 

“SALLY! GET DOWN HERE, NOW! YOU NEED TO PREPARE JEWEL AND I OUR DINNER!!” 

Sally quickly sat up straight, snapping herself back into reality. She shut the window, then turned around and quickly left the room. She walked down the curved staircase at a quick, but careful pace, so that she wouldn't fall; she wasn't very good with stairs. 

Once at the bottom, she hurried into the dining room, letting the door shut with a loud  _ thud _ . Dr. Finkelstein was sitting at one end of the table, and Jewel at the other. Neither of them looked pleased with her. The doctor spoke in his usual rough tone, while Jewel just sat there, glaring at the ragdoll. 

“Finally! There you are, you blasted girl! What are you just standing there for?! Go into the kitchen and prepare our soup!” 

“S-sorry…” Sally apologized quickly. Being obedient, she turned and headed at a quick pace into the kitchen. Only when the door shut behind her did she allow herself to breathe. After taking a second to do so, she walked over to the cabinet and opened it, scanning for the right ingredients for her soup. Wormswart will do tonight. 

  


\--------------

  


After the soup finished brewing in the cauldron, Sally got out a small tray. She placed two bowls and spoons on it, then she carefully picked it up and walked back over to the brew. She took out a large spoon and spooned two spoonfuls into each bowl. With the meal finally prepared, she took a second to adjust herself, standing up straight and brushing off her apron. Then, with confidence, she opened the door and walked back into the dining room. 

“Ah, finally! I’m starving!”

The doctor commented as Sally put a bowl of soup at his place. Jewel gave her a dirty look as she passed, and as she carefully placed the second bowl in front of her. She hardly noticed. Jewel snorted. “Why don't you go make yourself useful and do the dishes?” Jewel instructed rudely. Sally sighed, but obeyed. She trudged over to the side of the room where the sink was, and began cleaning up from their previous meal. While she did this, Jewel and the doctor began talking. 

“Are you still planning on going out tonight?” The doctor asked. Jewel looked up. 

“To the party? Yes.” 

This got Sally’s attention. Party? What party?

“Is that a problem?” Jewel asked. 

“Of course not, dear. I was just making sure your plans hadn't changed.”

“Not at all! Helgamine and Zeldaborne will be here soon, actually. We're all going to walk over together.”

Sally turned around. She hesitated, knowing all too well what would happen if she interrupted, but her curious side got the best of her. She had to say something!

“U-Um...excuse me, but, what party?” She asked, turning off the sink so she could hear better. Her step-mom glared at her for a second, but then, something strange happened. Jewel  _ smiled _ . It made her shiver.

“Well, if you  _ must _ know, there’s a party going on tonight down at the Town Hall. I am going with the witches. It's a party in celebration of Halloween’s success this year- Jack and the Mayor wanted to try something different.” Sally’s breath got caught in her throat at the mention of that name.  _ Jack _ …

She placed a hand on her cheek, feeling her face become warm. Thankfully, Jewel didn't seem to notice. “Oh..” Sally replied. “That..sounds like fun…” She rubbed her arm awkwardly. She REALLY wanted to go to this party. A chance to actually MEET other people, as well as a chance to have fun for once- yeah, she HAD to go.

“Yes, it will be an absolutely terrible experience!” Jewel exclaimed. Sally opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. “Meanwhile I have a job for YOU, Sally. You’ll need to have ALL my dresses washed and dried. I expect you to have it all finished by the time I come home.” She narrowed her eyes. Sally’s shoulders drooped. A mixture of disappointment and sadness filled her phantom heart. 

“What? You mean I...I can’t come?” Immediately, as soon as it left her mouth, she regretted ever asking such a thing. The regret only worsened when Jewel broke out in hysterical laughter. 

“Ahahahahahah!” She wiped her eyes. “Oh, Sally! You’re even more foolish than you look! Of COURSE you CAN'T come! Why would you even ask something so ridiculous? Aha!” Sally turned around, feeling absolutely horrible. She should have expected an answer like  _ that _ . She faced the sink and said nothing. Jewel spoke up again after a few moments. “If you’re done with the dishes, then I suggest you go upstairs and get to work on my dresses, Ragdoll!”

Sally clenched her fists. Her words stung. Without another word, she took off, back out of the dining room and up the stairs. She threw her door open and shut, running over and collapsing on her bed. One tear fell, then another, and another, until she was crying and couldn’t stop. Closing her eyes, she cried herself to sleep. 

\------------

Sally awoke to the sound of the large metal lock on her door slamming shut with a  _ thud _ . She wiped her eyes, which were still slightly wet.  _ What time is it? _ She sat up and hopped out of bed, making her way across the room, back to the window. Instead of her eyes shooting over to Jack’s Tower where they usually did, she looked down. The first thing she saw was Jewel, all dressed up, walking down the roadway with Helgamine and Zeldaborne, the two witches. The three friends were chatting away. They were on their way to that party, weren't they?

Sally felt the disappointment and sadness begin to swell inside her again. It was only a few hours since she knew about it, but she really wanted to go! But, the doctor had locked her door- there was no chance to escape. Besides, even if she did manage to get out, she didn't have a dress  _ nearly _ pretty enough. There was no hope. 

She glanced behind her. There was a basket sitting by her door, filled with the dresses Jewel wanted her to clean. Wiping her eye again, she made her way over to the basket, sniffling slightly. She was about to pick up a dress and get started, when she heard a knock on her window. Sally turned around quickly, a bit startled. Her window was way too high up for anyone to knock. 

But she didn't see a person at her window. Instead, there was a small black cat, just sitting there. He knocked on the window with his claws. Sally just stared. What was he sitting on? The window didn’t have a ledge. The cat meowed, continuing to knock. Sally crept over to it. The silky feline seemed to smile as she undid the lock, opening it for him to jump inside. He lept in on que and landed gently on her bed. Leaving the window, Sally walked over and sat down next to him. She began to pet him, and he purred. “Hello there, kitty,” She greeted him softly. He looked up at her. 

“Hello,” He replied. Sally blinked. She didn't think that most cats could talk, but, maybe this was normal? She didn't get out much. She gave him a weak smile.

“My dear, why are you crying?” He asked. 

“Oh!” She quickly wiped her eyes once more. “I'm sorry...it's just…” she sighed. “There's this big party going on in town tonight and...I really wanted to go. But...I-I can't ....” 

The cat tilted his head. “Well, why not?” he asked. 

Sally answered,”I’m not allowed. Even if I was, I have nothing to go in! This dirty old patchwork dress is not nearly fancy enough for a Halloween party..” She closed her eyes. 

“Hmm..” the cat thought to himself. “Perhaps I can help you?”

Sally opened her eyes again. “What? What can  _ you _ do? You’re just a cat” 

He smiled. “I am not just any cat, actually. And, I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m not from around here.” 

“You’re not?”

“No. And where I’m from...we have  _ magic _ .” 

He smiled at her again, placing a paw on her hand. 

“Magic?”

“Yes. I can help you go to the party. But first, we should get outside.” 

Sally shook her head. The cat flattened his tiny ears, confused. 

“I’m sorry,” she explained, “but, the doctor has locked my door. I’m afraid there’s no….way....” she trailed off, staring at the window. “Or..maybe..” She had an idea. A crazy one, but an idea. She stood up and walked back over to the open window once more. The sun was beginning to set. Sally stared down at the ground below, her new cat friend jumping up onto the sill beside her. They exchanged glances before Sally looked back down. She took a deep breath, and climbed up onto the rail, swinging her legs over so that she was now sitting on the sill. The ragdoll closed her eyes out of fear, hesitating for a second, right before she pushed off with her legs and hard as she could and jumped, falling right out the window and onto the ground below. 

_ Crunch _ ! 

She blacked out for a second or two, before blinking her eyes open. She couldn’t believe it- she was actually outside! Sitting up, Sally realized her arm had come detached from the fall. This wasn’t a problem, however. She simply reached into her pocket and pulled out her spool of thread- the ones she kept with her at all times. She pushed the few loose leaves back inside her, then took the needle out from behind her ear and effortlessly sewed her arm back to her body. Brushing her dress off, she stood up. 

The cat had too jumped down from the window, and was standing on the branch beside her. He licked his paws as she watched him, intrigued. Now, time to see what all this ‘magic’ was about. Sally spoke up, “Okay, Mr. Cat, we’re outside. What shall we do next?” The cat stopped licking his paws and looked at her.

“Please,” he told her, “You may call me Jupiter.” He smiled at her again. She nodded as he continued, “Now, you told me you needed a dress, correct?” 

She nodded again.“Yes.”

“Well, Miss, I do believe I can help you. Just hold still for a moment.” 

Sally obeyed, holding as perfectly still as possible. Jupiter began to pace around her, flicking his tail. A low hum erupted from his throat. He rubbed his head on her legs, then took a step back. 

Sally stared in amazement as her dress began to change. It grew longer, and the ugly patches on it vanished all together. It’s dark shade faded to the most gorgeous white, and the material turned light and silky. The sleeves disappeared, exposing her shoulders, and soft frills were coiled around the bottom. It was overall the most beautiful dress that Sally could have ever imagined, way better than anything  _ Jewel _ was wearing. 

She couldn’t hold back a smile as she admired the dress, brushing the fabric and gawking at how pretty it was. She hadn’t even noticed that Jupiter had also fixed up her hair- what used to look like ratty old yarn now looked smooth and soft. And lastly, to compliment it, she had two beautiful glass heels. Sally was breathtakingly gorgeous.

“Oh….oh my goodness! Jupiter, this is amazing! Absolutely amazing!” She leaned down and picked the cat up, petting and kissing him on the head. He purred. 

“You may want to get going, Miss. The party won’t last all night- and, neither will your dress.” He told her.

“Right!” Sally put the cat down. She turned to leave, but paused. “Wait… what about my dress?” Jupiter flicked his tail again. 

“It will only last until midnight. After that, it will return to its original state, and you’ll be back to how you looked before. You may want to be home by then.” She nodded.

“Midnight. Got it. Thank you!” And with that, she hurried away down the path.

“You’re welcome.”

  


—————

  


By the time Sally got to the entrance of Town Hall, most people were already inside. She was both excited and very nervous. She had never even talked to anyone other than Jewel or the Doctor! And now here she was, about to go to a massive party. It looked like the whole town was here- maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all..

Sally looked around to see if she could recognize anyone, and that’s when her breath got caught in her throat, and it felt like her heart stopped. 

Standing at the main entrance, greeting people as they came in, was none other than Jack Skellington himself. 

Sally totally forgot that he was going to be here. How could she forget?? This was practically  _ his _ party! 

An insane amount of nervousness crept inside of her. She could hardly move. People began to walk around her to get to the door, but poor Sally was frozen. She should be excited- she was finally going to get to meet the pumpkin king- but she had admired him from afar for so long, it frightened her to see him so close. 

_ What if I mess up? _

_ What if he doesn’t like me? _

_ What if he hates my dress?  _

_ What if he hates  _ **_me_ ** _?  _

These things repeated over and over in the Ragdoll’s head. She shook it to clear these horrible thoughts, watching for a second more as the King shook people’s hands and greeted them as they came by. She gulped. 

_ Well, it’s now or never. I can’t waste anymore time.  _

With that, she began to take shaky steps toward the door. 

  


It only felt like seconds before she was next in line to shake The King’s hand. Her poor heart was pounding way too quickly, and her face was even warmer than before. She was sure it was bright red. Sally took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and folded her hands properly in front of her. Soon, the ghoul in front of her moved forward, and it was her turn. 

Unfortunately, Sally was so focused on Jack, she had forgotten that she was wearing heels. When she took a step forward, she put her foot down wrong, and tripped, right as Jack was turning back around to greet her. 

Sally threw her arms out to try and catch herself on something, and she did. She caught herself on Jack’s chest. 

The skeleton blinked in surprise as he looked down at Sally, whose face was as red as freshly drained blood. Sally gasped in horror and immediately threw herself back off of him, stumbling to keep her balance as she stood up straight. 

“S-S-SORRY!” She frantically apologized. The doll squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassed. 

She expected him to be mad- to yell at her for not being careful, but instead, the skeleton just chuckled. 

“It’s quite alright.” He told her with a reassuring smile. “As long as you didn’t hurt yourself. That would’ve been a nasty fall. Are you okay?” 

Sally couldn’t hardly breathe. She couldn’t  _ believe _ what she was hearing. She tried her best to play it cool, despite the fact that she was blushing like mad.

“Oh, yeah! I-I’m okay..” She told him, giving a weak smile. He smiled back. 

Sally took a few seconds to finally admire him up close. He had regular skeleton features, such as the hollow eyes and stitched smile. He wore a dark black suit with white pinstripes, and a bow tie that resembled a bat. She stared at him- he was  _ very _ handsome. Even more attractive up close than she already thought. 

“I’m glad. Now, I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before.” He held out a bony hand. “My name is Jack. Jack Skellington. And you?” 

“Hm-Oh!” Sally blushed a bit more as she took his hand, shaking it. “I-I’m Sally….” She let go and let her hand drop back to her side. He smiled wider.

“Well, Sally, I must say, it is splendid to meet you! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around town before..?” She shook her head. 

“Oh, no...I-I’m not allowed out...much…” She told him, hoping she hadn’t said too much. The skeleton tilted his head. 

“Oh, that’s quite a shame. Well, I would  _ love _ to see you around more- I must say, you are quite beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such fabric.” He complimented, referring to her dress. Sally thought she might die. 

_ He called me beautiful! _

She stuttered her words. “Th-Thank you, Jack…”

“Did you make it yourself?”

Sally rubbed her arm nervously. 

“I..I usually do make my own dresses but….not this one…”

“I see” Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her forward slightly. “Well, very nice to meet you, Sally. I’ll look forward to seeing you around.” He smiled at her again. She smiled back, walking the rest of the way inside, and past Jack. 

“Yeah….you t-too…” He nodded one last time before turning to the gentleman behind her. As Sally walked away, she heard a snippet of their conversation. 

  


“Wow, Jack, it’s barely 9:00 an ‘ya already got gals  _ fallin _ for ‘ya”

“Ahahah, glad to see you made it, James” 

  


She hurried away, embarrassed.

————

Sally spent most of the party avoiding Jewel- which wasn’t too hard, since Jewel spent the entire night over at a table in the corner chatting away with Helgamine and Zeldaborne. Most of the night proceeded as you would expect a party to go. Sally did some dancing, ate some food, and even made a new friend for two. She was having a blast. It was all going very well. 

After tiring herself attempting to dance in heels, the Ragdoll went to go get a drink. She walked over to the blood-punch bowl, picked up a cup and poured herself some. She brought the cup up to her lips and took a sip.

“Hello” 

Sally coughed, almost choking on the red liquid. She easily recognized  _ that _ voice. She put her cup down and spun around, almost smacking directly into someone. When she looked, sure enough, it was him. Jack skellington. Looking at her with that same smile. She blushed.

“O-oh! Hello…” Sally replied as he reached around her and poured himself a cup.

“Enjoying the party?” He asked, taking a sip. Sally nodded.

“Oh, yes. I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had...Thank you.” 

He nodded to her. “You’re welcome. It’s not often I agree to throwing parties like this, so I’m very glad to hear that you’re enjoying it.” She nodded once more.

“V-very much, yes. I’m so happy I could make it.” 

Jack put his cup down and continued smiling at her.

“I’m very happy you could make it as well” He told her.

Sally giggled. She was just about to reply when the music suddenly changed. It went from a regular upbeat tone to….a slow dance. They looked around as people began to dance together, putting their arms around each other and spinning happily. 

Jack and Sally made eye contact. Sally played shyly with her hair, feeling a certain awkward tension as couples danced around them. Without warning, Jack suddenly held out his hand to her. His eye sockets looked her dead in the eye as he asked, 

_ “May I have this dance?”  _

Sally felt her heart stop for the 3rd time that night. She was absolutely speechless. He, Jack Skellington, the PUMPKIN KING, wanted to dance with HER. She didn’t know what to say. It took everything in her system to squeak out her answer.

“ _ yes _ ”

That was enough for him. Taking her by the hand, he led her out onto the dance floor. A few people stopped what they were doing to watch. After all, this was  _ Jack Skellington _ , not only the king, but also the most popular person in the whole town, dancing with a lady! They  _ had _ to see!

Once the two went out onto the floor, it felt like they were the only ones there as they gazed into each other's eyes. Jack wrapped his arms around Sally’s waist, and she put her hands around his neck. Sally felt like she was dancing in the clouds, or on top of water, with no one and nothing else around. Just her, and her King.

He was a really good dancer, which didn’t come as a surprise to her. She closed her eyes, fantasizing a different world around them, and blushing as they continued.

Jack and Sally were so caught up in the moment that they didn’t even realize that they were the only ones on the floor. Everyone else had cleared out to give them room, or to watch. Sally wouldn’t have cared anyway. She was far too ecstatic to be dancing with Jack to care. 

Their dancing, unfortunately, slowed as the song came to an end. Gradually they stopped and pulled away from each other. Sally shivered with happiness as their eyes met. She was overwhelmed. 

Only now did the two look around and realize that everyone was staring at them. All the red came back to Sally’s face, but Jack didn’t seem phased. As the beat shifted, and the slow song was over, people soon started filling back onto the dance floor, and soon, Jack and Sally were surrounded again. 

A strange feeling washed over Sally, all of the sudden. With all the people around them, she began to feel trapped. Closed in, per say. She wasn’t sure why, so she decided to go get some fresh air. She turned to Jack. 

“Excuse me..” 

He nodded, and she quickly turned and walked away.

  


Sally left the building. She was standing outside the main entrance, taking a moment to reflect on what just happened, as she stared up at the full moon. She just danced with the love of her life! She sighed, playing with her long red hair. It was honestly hard for her to believe- she hadn’t expected any more from him than a handshake and small greeting. In fact, she hadn’t expected them to hit it off so well at all! After all, she was no more than another citizen to him, right? They had never even spoken before tonight yet..it really felt like there was something there. Almost as if-

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” 

There it was. That voice again, cutting off her thoughts. She turned around, and sure enough, there was Jack, walking towards her. He seemed to be holding something behind his back, but Sally didn’t think twice about it as she blushed and replied. 

“Y-yeah...it sure is..” He walked up beside her, with one arm behind his back still, he placed the other around her shoulders, holding her close. 

“I wanted to tell you,” he began. “You’re a very good dancer.” Sally couldn’t help but giggle. 

“Thanks..You’re pretty good too..” 

“Thank you” 

They stood there for a bit, just enjoying the moment, both staring up at the moon. Sally hardly noticed when Jack turned and looked at her. He couldn’t help but admire the way the moonlight reflected beautifully into her eyes, and he felt something inside his ribcage flutter as he noticed them periodically flicker onto him, only to realize he was still watching her and shyly look away. Jack smiled lovingly, deciding to make his move. 

“Sally?”

He got her attention.

“Yes?”

“Here”

He turned towards her, removing his arm from behind his back. In his hand was a black rose, as dark as night itself. She almost couldn’t believe it, and if it weren’t for everything else that night, she probably wouldn’t have. 

“Oh, Jack….It’s beautiful. Is it….for m-me?”

He smiled. 

“Of course, dear Sally” He placed it in her hands, holding them together in his own and gently squeezing them, finding it cute how small her hands were in comparison to his own. “Just for you” 

Sally closed her eyes. 

“Thank you, Jack.”

“You’re welcome”

They stared at each other for what felt like forever, just letting themselves enjoy the moment. Jack moved his hand to cup the side of her face. They stayed where they were, not wanting to shift their gazes, but Jack's sockets weren’t on her eyes- they were on her  _ lips _ . As Sally’s were on his. She wanted to kiss him  _ so _ badly. After everything they shared that night- from pleasant conversation, to compliments, and dancing, it just felt so.... _ right _ . She just didn’t know that Jack felt the same. 

His eyes began to go half lidded, and so did hers. Her heartbeat quickened as Jack slid his thumb along the stitches on her cheek, in the direction of her lips. He looked her in the eyes.

“ _ May I _ ?”

She blushed darker.

“ _ Please do… _ ” 

Jack smiled a bit, closing his eyes. Sally placed a hand on his chest, gripping lightly at the lapels on his suit. She closed her eyes as well, lifting her head up. He brought his head down. Their lips were getting closer to touching. Closer...closer...and… 

  


_ RING _

_ RING _

_ RING _

  


The clock struck midnight. Sally had completely forgotten the spell! Her heart began to pound. She was seconds away from changing back! The ragdoll pushed away from him, releasing her grip on his suit and dropping the Rose in the process. Jack looked concerned.

“..Sally..?” 

She continued hyperventilating, placing a hand on her chest. 

“J-Jack...I’m sorry! I have to go! I-I have to go!”

Without warning, she took off past him as quickly as she could, nearly tripping as she scrambled to get away.

“Sally! Wait!” 

She didn’t wait. She ran down the steps as quickly as she could, and in her haste, she didn’t realize that she’d lost one of her glass slippers. 

Sally painfully ignored Jack’s calls. She just kept running. By the time she got to the outskirts, her dress was back to her normal patchwork. But she didn’t slow down, she just ran the whole way back to her tower. Only then did she stop for a breath. 

Once her ‘lungs’ were no longer aching, Sally carefully opened the main door, and went inside. It was pitch black, no surprise, as the Doctor was asleep, and Jewel was still at the party. She crept carefully up the stairs and undid the lock on her bedroom door, trudging inside. 

  


The Ragdoll collapsed on her bed in tears, heartbroken. She felt terrible for leaving poor Jack like that. He had no idea why she was running away! Not to mention, had it been a few minutes earlier, she could have  _ kissed _ him. 

Sally laid her head down onto her pillow, threw her covers around her, and cried herself to sleep, once again.

————

When Sally awoke, it was morning. The daylight from the pumpkin sun pushed its way in through her window, dimly lighting the room. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up and stretching. 

_ Oh joy, time for another day of work, work, work. _

Memories of the previous night suddenly came flooding back to her, causing her heart to jump. For a second, she felt once again overjoyed as she remembered her dance with the pumpkin king. But the joy was short lived, as she remembered the way she fled from him at midnight. Right before they kissed. 

Sally brushed down her hair, running her fingers through the matted mess of tangled yarn. She was about to get up to find a proper brush when she heard her name being called from downstairs.

“SALLYYY!!! GET DOWN HERE!! THERE’S SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YOU!!” 

What? Someone here for..her? Strange... What could that be for? And more importantly...Who is it? 

Sally obeyed the doctor's call, and left her room, trying not to slam the door as she skitted out, anxious to know what was going on. 

Once at the top of the staircase, the doll looked down, and as soon as she saw who was here for her, she wanted to scream. 

Standing there, at the bottom of the stairs, towering over Doctor Finkelstein and Jewel, was her one and only dance partner from last night- Jack. His face lit up when he saw her.

Sally felt like crawling into a tiny tiny ball and hiding. What was  _ he _ doing here? She carefully walked down the stairs, hesitating after the last step. Her voice was shaky. “ _ Y-y-yes _ ?” 

The Doctor rolled his wheelchair next to her, with a look of disgust mixed with confusion on his face. He answered,

“Jack Skellington here wants to see you” he shook his head. “For the death of me I don’t know  _ why _ ” Jack looked at Sally. He spoke up next.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay, Sally.” He told her, “After you fled the party so fast last night, I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong.”

“WHAT?!?” Both Jewel and Dr. Finkelstein echoed.

“Sally ATTENDED the party?! I LOCKED YOU IN YOUR ROOM!” The doctor shouted. Jewel gasped.

“Sally! YOU were the one dancing with Jack, weren’t you!?” 

When Sally didn’t reply, Jewel continued.

“I knew that hair looked familiar!” 

“Sally  _ DANCED _ with Jack?!?”

The Ragdoll still said nothing to them. Instead, she turned her attention back to the Pumpkin King. 

“Jack….How did you find me…?” She asked softly, looking up into his eye sockets. He smiled at her. 

“The Band. They always leave crowded spaces to get fresh air, so I figured they might have seen where you went. And I was right.” 

“O-Oh...well I…” A shiver went through Sally, and her face turned a light pink. “I’m sorry for running away, Jack…”

He shook his skull, a look of understanding in his features. “It’s alright. I figured you had a good reason. No need to apologize.” He smiled at her and winked. 

She giggled, blushing a bit more. 

The Doctor and Jewel just stood there in complete awe. What was even happening..? The doctor was especially confused. Since when did Jack give a bats tail about his failed creation?? Finkelstein cleared his throat to begin speaking first.

“ _ Well _ , Jack, my boy, since you’ve now seen to it that Sally is perfectly fine, I think that you must be getting on your way. I know you’re a very busy man, and besides, I think I need to have a little  _ talk _ with Sally here..” He shot a glare in her direction. Jewel nodded in agreement, crossing her arms.

Sally gulped.

The Skeleton gazed between her, the Doctor, and Jewel. He sighed. “While, yes, it’s true that I am rather busy, there is one more matter I need to address before I take my leave”

Jack walked up to stand in front of Sally, who looked up at him shyly. He could hear her heart pounding as he approached. Out from behind his back, he pulled Sally’s missing glass slipper. It was still just as shiny as it had been the night before. She gasped, not even realizing she had lost it. He smiled. 

“May I?” 

She nodded. Jack crouched down in front of her and lifted her foot up. He gently slid it into the shoe. It fit easily. He smiled up at her. She smiled back. 

Jack stood back up and took her by the hand, lifting it up and placing a small kiss on the back of it. He looked at her, undoubtedly love in his sockets. 

“I also wanted to bring you  _ this- _ “

Jack reached into his suit and pulled out a rose. Not just any rose, but the same black rose from the night before. Sally blushed darker as he reached forward and put the rose into her hair, effortlessly intertwining the thorns into her yarn with his thin fingers. He stood back a pace and looked at her. Sally swore she saw his skull flush a tiny bit. The king sighed, and added under his breath,  _ “Beautiful _ ..”

Sally blushed more, smiling and biting her lip. She looked up at him, and their eyes met. They didn’t even care that Jewel and Finkelstein were still watching them. 

Jack repeated the same action from the previous night, taking the side of her face in his hand, and slipping the other around her waist. Their eyes began to close, as Jack and Sally leaned in to share the kiss that they both needed. 

  


~~_ And then they got married and had 5 skeleton kids _ ~~

  


The end.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Its kinda funny because our assignment was just "Choose a fairytale to rewrite with your own little twist!" and my teacher told us it didn't have to be more than 5 pages. And I, uh. Wrote 20.  
> (teacher didn't even read the whole thing- she told me it was too long kkbkbbgavsk)
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed!!


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